Hybrid put together a dominant second half performance to return to their second-consecutive national final
October 27, 2024 by Josh Katz in Recap with 0 comments
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On the sweltering turf at Canyon Crest Academy, about six miles from where the tournament began at Surf Cup Sports Park, #7 Ann Arbor Hybrid soundly defeated #5 Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust, returning to the finals for the second year in a row and third time in four years.
The main story of the game was the dominant defensive performance from Hybrid, headlined by Nathan Champoux and Tracey Lo. They consistently put pressure on the Drag’n offense, never letting them fully settle into the game. Champoux racked up three blocks on his own, but his impact extended far beyond the box score. Champoux shut out every matchup he took on, hounding his mark and always ready to pounce.
Lo and Mark Whitton credited the team’s game planning and preparation. Though Drag’n possessed a multitude of ways to attack on offense, Hybrid had a plan to shut them all down. The internal trust in the game plan allowed each individual player to focus on generating blocks, knowing their teammates would be there to support any risks that didn’t work out.
The second main story, and the much sadder one, was an injury to Hybrid’s Rachel Mast on the second point of the game. “[We] rely on her in tight situations… pulling her [in] both directions,” according to Hybrid coach Bailey Besser. “To not have that release valve and the defense is difficult.” But Besser was quick to shout out Amy Turner (on offense) and Madalyn Simko (on defense) for stepping up in Mast’s absence. She noted in particular that Hybrid’s myriad personnel losses all season gave Turner plenty of reps with the O-line, letting her fill in seamlessly when called upon.
The game itself started as it would go on, with Champoux earning his first block on a throw to the end zone on the game’s first possession. Though Hybrid turned it back quickly and allowed Drag’n to hold on the first point, the message was clear: Drag’n would have to fight tooth and nail for every inch on offense. Hybrid answered back with a goal from Aaron Bartlett to level the score, and quickly earned a pair of breaks to extend the lead to 3-1, one they’d never relinquish. The teams traded holds to 5-3, at which point Champoux earned his third block of the half by chasing down Bryan Vohnoutka to break up a huck. On the turn, Dalton Smith unlocked the Drag’n defense with a huck to a wide open James Hill, extending the lead to 6-3.
After a quick hold thanks to a goal from Sarah Meckstroth, Drag’n were able to generate consistent pressure on the Hybrid offense for the first (and as we’d later learn, only) time in the game. Some tight downfield defense forced a difficult reset from Theo Shapinsky, which Bartlett was unable to corral. Kyle Suelflow then found himself open deep, and Danielle Byers found him for Drag’n’s first break. On the next point, a coffin-corner pull from James Pollard let Drag’n put some pressure on the first throw, and Laura Gerencser couldn’t collect the centering pass. One throw later, Bret Bergmeier was in the end zone to tie the game at 6.
The teams traded clean holds until half time, with Whitton getting Hybrid over the line on an acrobatic catch at the goal line. After half, it was all Hybrid. Bartlett scored out of half for an easy hold, and then the defense fully took control. Sara Nitz put on an excellent mark, forcing a dropped reset pass and then took off deep, Smith finding her for the break. The next point featured a number of turns from both teams, but finished off in similar fashion, Smith finding Theresa Zettner for the score to push the lead to 11-7. A hold from Caleb Denecour momentarily stopped the bleeding, but ultimately the Hybrid defense was too strong, and the offense too consistent.
After a hold on a nifty throw from Shapinsky to Gerenscer, Smith picked up a block of his own, then found Nitz deep again for a score to fully break things open, extending Hybrid’s lead to 13-8. Emma Peaslee found Byers to close the gap to four, but that was the last time Drag’n found the end zone. Bartlett found McGuire for a hold, and Lo finished the game off with a break, finding Adam Stautberg after an Erica Baken turnover. Ultimately, it was a 7-2 second half run for Hybrid after the close first half.
“We’re really proud to get to this spot,” Drag’n’s Rachel Johnson said postgame, recalling Drag’n’s return to semis after being knocked out in prequarters last year. “We’re super happy to have this opportunity… and are, in general, happy with our rookies this year.” Denecour agreed, adding that, for the first time in a while, Drag’n were able to run even lines and still get results, rather than relying too much on their top end talent. The future is definitely bright in Minneapolis, with a strong leadership core in place to help keep Drag’n among the division’s elite programs.
Even though this is the third trip to finals in four years for Hybrid, the gravity of the occasion is not lost on their players. Multiple players mentioned that they view playing in a finals as a “once in a lifetime experience,” while Lo added, “We get to learn from each experience we get… Each one, we get a little more preparation and a little more knowledge.”
That knowledge should come in handy in the final, with Hybrid taking on a Lexington Sprocket side that hadn’t even made semifinal before this year, much less a final. Seeking the first championship in program history, Hybrid are relishing the challenge and ready to get over the hump.
